Antimicrobial and Gas Barrier Crustaceans and Fungal Chitin-Based Coatings on Biodegradable Bioplastic Films

Abstract

Chitin nanofibrils (CN) can be obtained from crustaceans and fungal sources and can be used for preparing coatings for bioplastic films, that are fundamental for developing a safe and sustainable biodegradable food packaging. Coatings with different concentrations of CN from shrimps were applied on different bioplastic substrates, like Poly (butylene succinate-co-adipate)/Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PBSA/PHBV) blend, Polybutylene succinate (PBS), and Polybutylene adipate terephthalate/Poly(lactic acid) (PBAT/PLA) blend, but the adhesion to the substrates was scarce. On the contrary, the fungal-based CN showed a better adhesion. Additionally, it was found that the use of an additive based on oligomeric lactic acid was useful to prepare a coating with an improved adhesion to bioplastics. The gas barrier properties to oxygen and water vapour of coated and un-coated films were measured, revealing an improvement of these properties thanks to applied coatings, especially towards the oxygen. Antimicrobial properties and biodegradation capacity were also evaluated revealing an antibacterial effect of the coatings that did not significantly interfere with their biodegradability. The results are discussed and interpreted considering the correlation between composition and macromolecular structures with the observed functional properties.

Techno-Economic Assessment of Chitin Nanofibrils Isolated from Fungi for a Pilot-Scale Biorefinery

“…For instance, ChNF hydrogels could be obtained at concentrations as low as 0.8 wt %; so a low amount of material with reduced economic cost could justify its use. Similarly, in polymer nanocomposites, fungal nanochitin shows improved affinity with polymers over the crustacean nanochitin, improving nanocomposite homogeneity and resulting in enhanced functionalities. Finally yet importantly, the freeze-dried ChNFs here studied show competitive advantages over their water-dispersed version, especially in terms of prospective transportation costs.…”

Innovative Biobased and Sustainable Polymer Packaging Solutions for Extending Bread Shelf Life: A Review

“…Chitin nanofibrils and chitosan induced antimicrobicity in paperboard-based packaging and resulted in the improvement of shelf life for fresh pasta [ 110 ]. Moreover, chitin nanofibrils present in a coating, made the surface of bioplastics antibacterial against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli [ 111 ].…”

From Food Waste to Functional Biopolymers: Characterization of Chitin and Chitosan Produced from Prepupae of Black Soldier Fly Reared with Different Food Waste-Based Diets

“…They form stable suspensions in slightly acidic water solutions. Moreover, their application, as the one of chitosan, enhanced barrier properties of biopolymer substrates [23], suggesting applications in the sector of bionanocomposites for the packaging [22,24] and personal care sector [25,26]. The control of the deacetylation reaction and the final acetylation degree is, thus, pivotal for modulating the macromolecular structure and morphology of the final product.…”